Short Biography

Scott L. "Taye" Diggs (born January 2, 1971) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice. His nickname, Taye, comes from the playful pronunciation of Scotty as "Scottay". In 1996, he got his big break, originating the role of the nasty landlord Benny in Jonathan Larson`s Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent. After Rent he appeared as Mr. Black alongside Idina Menzel`s character of Kate in Andrew Lippa`s off-Broadway production of The Wild Party. Diggs also played The Bandleader in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago and temporarily filled in for Norbert Leo Butz (an original Rent standby) as the love interest Fiyero of Idina Menzel`s Elphaba character in Wicked.

In early 2006, Diggs guest-starred for several episodes as Will Truman`s love interest, James, on the final season of Will & Grace. In May, ABC picked up his pilot, Day Break, in which he portrayed a detective trapped in the same day and forced to relive it to clear his name of murder; the show debuted in mid-November 2006, but was abruptly canceled due to poor ratings. Although his film and television career continue to move forward, he still returns to the stage frequently. Most recently he was seen alongside James McDaniel in Charles Fuller`s A Soldier`s Play at Second Stage Theatre in New York. Diggs co-stars opposite Kate Walsh in Private Practice, the fall 2007 spin-off of Grey`s Anatomy. Diggs had a guest role on The West Wing as a secret service agent in charge of the security detail for the president`s daughter. He then guest-starred on Grey`s Anatomy again in the Grey`s Anatomy/Private Practice Crossover Event.

Diggs married his Rent and Wild Party Broadway co-star Idina Menzel on January 11, 2003 after 7 years of dating. The couple also starred in the Broadway musical Wicked together while Norbert Leo Butz was unavailable. They have a Yorkshire Terrier named Sammy Davis, Jr. and two cats named Ella and Coltrane, whom they call their `jazz cats`. On December 6, 2004 it was reported by the New York Post that Menzel and Diggs were threatened with harm in a series of letters because of their interracial marriage. On September 2, 2009 the couple welcomed a baby boy named Walker Nathaniel Diggs.

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